


All My Days, I'll Know Your Face

by UpBabyUpWeGo



Category: Strictly Come Dancing RPF
Genre: F/M, G&R - you are absolutely outstanding, I hit myself in the feels with this one I won't lie, I'm manifesting this entire thing will become real, actually I do have lots of uni work which I should be doing but oh well, i have no life, ive been writing this for three hours straight I need help, one day people one day, you better have read that in G's Shirley voice pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:09:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28886634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpBabyUpWeGo/pseuds/UpBabyUpWeGo
Summary: It’s Giovanni’s 10th year as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, and it’s time for him to do another recap of his journey for the public. However, discussing his Strictly CV is even more emotional for him than last time, as he explains how being partnered with Ranvir Singh changed his life back in 2020, who is now his wife and the mother of his children, Tushaan and Adriana.
Relationships: Giovanni Pernice/Ranvir Singh
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	All My Days, I'll Know Your Face

**Author's Note:**

> Before reading, I recommend you watch Gio's Strictly Journey video (it's on YouTube!) if you haven't already, as the whole thing is based off that concept.  
> I started writing this and couldn’t stop. You deserve an award if you reach the end. Also, title’s from Taylor and Ed’s ‘Everything Has Changed’. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I loved writing it!

[December 2024]

Giovanni sat down in the chair propped in front of the glittery, gold background once more, making himself comfortable while checking his reflection in the monitor quickly. He couldn’t believe it had been a whole five years since he’d filmed his last Strictly CV video. What a crazy five years it had been since then. 

In his 10 years on the show, he had been in the final 5 times, an incredible achievement in itself. However, in his fourth final, his dream of lifting the glitterball came to life at long last, with partner Jessie J. Winning had been an amazing feeling - finally, after 7 years all of his hard work, teaching and choreography had paid off. Jessie put her everything into the show, which had made it easy for him to push her, so naturally they made a great team. But as he celebrated his victory that night, jumping around the dance floor in disbelief with Jessie, there was really only one person on his mind. The woman he’d met the previous year in 2020, who was standing there in the front row with tears of joy running down her face as she clapped for their triumph. The one who had taught him a different side to teaching, how to embrace vulnerability, how to encourage with compliments and not be too harsh. Ranvir Singh, the love of his life. In the midst of their celebratory screaming, Giovanni had stopped for a minute and looked directly at her, not caring the cameras were on his face. With teary eyes and a giddy smile, he blew her a kiss and mouthed ‘thank you’, to which she blew one back and continued cheering for them, giving Tushaan, who had the biggest smile on his face next to her, a tight squeeze at the same time.

That night was very special - he’d finally done it. He was so proud of Jessie, but proud of himself too. Proud of the man he had become, because of Ranvir. There was nothing more rewarding, in his opinion. And now, as he was about to reflect on the whole 10 years of his strictly journey, the nostalgia of it all was quite overwhelming. He had always found watching back his best dances to be an emotional pursuit, as each one was attached to a beautiful memory. However, nothing could ever compare to 2020. That year, that beautiful year, where every single memory would forever be engrained in his mind. The year where he met his soulmate! Yeah, reflecting on that was going to be… emotional, to say the least. ‘Just please don’t fucking cry, whatever you do’, he said to himself - practically begging his brain as the camera man gave the thumbs up, signalling they had started to record. 

“Hi everyone, it’s Giovanni!” He said with a classic cheeky grin, “I’m back and doing my part 2 of my strictly journey!”

“So I’ve been a pro on Strictly Come Dancing now for 10 years. 10 years, can you believe that?! Oh my gosh, I’m so old!” He said, laughing into the camera, along with the crew behind the scenes. 

“Gio mate, you’re 34!” someone shouted from the background, trying to wind him up, to which he replied “Oh stoooop it!!”, giggling as he extended the phrase for dramatic effect.

“And I finally WON, people! YES!!! Giovanni Pernice, actually born to win!” He exclaimed, lifting both hands into the air and cheering for himself with the rest of the crew. 

“Now before we start on my AMAZING journey of the last five years, let’s go through my first five years on the show quickly again, yeah?” 

Talking briefly about each of his previous partners from his first five years on the show again, he smiled once more at the footage of Georgia’s Charleston, Faye’s Rumba, Debbie’s Showdance, Michelle’s Foxtrot and so many more. Such beautiful dances, all executed exactly as he wanted them to be. 

“Right then, now we move on the last five years of my time on the show! Starting in 2020, when I was partnered up with a truly gorgeous woman who I decided to make my wife - Mrs Ranvir Singh-Pernice!” The crew started going crazy with their cheers, someone shouting ‘We love you Ranvir!’ making his heart swell with happiness. He loved how much support they’d always had from the public, the crew, the professionals, the other celebrities from 2020. Everyone had always seemed to be rooting for them from day one, no matter their differences, and that’s one of the reasons why he knew it just felt so right. 

“Wow, what a crazy year that one was. Okay, let’s go from top.” The footage of their first dance played on the screen in front of him, starting at the beginning with Ranvir’s iconic skirt sequence in the Paso Doble. 

“Ahh, our first dance! Coming out ready to fight - the Paso Doble! I remember telling her, she was so scared at the time, but I remember saying ‘You need to have the first 20 seconds to yourself. You have to do this, for you, to make your impression on the show. You’re showing yourself off for the first time to everyone, it has to look incredible.’ And, well just look at that, absolutely fantastic.”

“I loved that dance. I couldn’t believe she’d done it so well on the night, it had not gone like that in training at all, so I was very shocked! I think she was too. So proud of her for that one, still to this day. And look at her in that dress! My wife people!” He said proudly into the camera.

The footage quickly moved on to show them hopping and skipping along the dance floor in their sunflower themed Week 2 Quickstep. “You are the sunshine of my life,” Giovanni sang along to the music with a smile on his face, “Oh, this one was great. We had a lot of fun that week. I’d known her for a couple of weeks by then, and we’d got to know each other surprisingly quickly. We had figured out what way of teaching was working the best, so from this week onwards she was always 100% with learning the steps. And let’s talk about her frame! I figured out in first week of training that she had an absolutely gorgeous frame, I knew she was going to be perfect for ballroom. Which actually brings us nicely onto…” he said, as now plastered across the screen in all its splendour was of course, their Week 3 Foxtrot to ‘Love You I Do’ from Dreamgirls.

“MOVIE WEEK!!! Oh my gosh, movie week. We were top of the leaderboard this week and I was so so proud of her performance, she danced amazing. Look at that frame!! Best frame of Strictly ever, people, come on!” He said as he clapped the screen. Any excuse to hype up his girl, he was on it. He was truly loving speaking his mind on their performances, which felt like yesterday, not four years ago! “She still loves that dress, it’s hanging up in our wardrobe with a protective cover on it! No ones allowed to touch it except her!” He said, laughing fondly, unable to help how much he adores this life they’ve built together. 

As the footage of Ranvir winding her hips against his came on the screen, massive grins on both of their faces, he let out a giggle to himself and said “Wow, okay, here we go. Week 4. Cha cha week. This is when things got real!” He laughed, and put his head in his hands out of embarrassment, knowing he was going to get killed by their loyal supporters if he didn’t expand on that. 

“We really had to dig deep this week, finding out a lot about each other and our insecurities, things that made us scared. Ranvir was such a strong, brave woman when I met her, but she had zero confidence in herself and what she looked like. She loved being in hold the weeks before this because people would be looking at the both of us, not just her. But Cha Cha is all about the sexiness of the partners not only together, but also separately. It was a very exposing thing for her, we had a lot of breakdowns that week! But she did absolutely fantastic, I was so proud, and thankful to the public for putting us through - we got so close to nearly being in the bottom two. But yeah, Cha Cha will always be our favourite week I think. I got to know her so well that week. Also.. sort of fell in love with her then but didn’t want to admit to myself yet!” He glanced behind the camera as the crew were making ‘oooohhh’ sounds and he could feel himself going completely red. So embarrassing, he thought, but he knew the worst was yet to come.

“Jesus Christ, Argentine Tango week, here we go,” his face going an even deeper shade of red, “Yes, so… as you have probably all realised by now, this was the week we gave into our feelings. Well, actually, not until after the Saturday night performance, where we had that little-, oh yeah look there it is! Our ‘moment’ at the end there, as people call it.” The end of the dance showing Giovanni inches away from Ranvir’s lips was making his stomach feel funny just looking at it. He’s rewatched the dance so many times since that day, and analysed that exact moment so many times, but it’s always as if he’s in that moment again, reliving it. Feeling them both shake due to intensity of the dance. It wasn’t acting; he knew it, she knew it and the fucking public definitely knew it, that’s for sure. 

“Yeah we had a little chat after that one. I’m very professional people, okay! We know this! But you just can’t help who you fall for, isn’t it? Anyway, this week we got our 10 from the wonderful Anton! Ranvir put all her effort into it and think that’s my favourite to watch back actually, this one. It’s SO good. Can I say that about my own dance? Yes, of course I can,” he said with a wink, “Perfect dance. Perfect lady. Nearly a perfect score. What more could I ask for? Lovely jubbly. Next!” 

“Ah of course, our beloved Paula and Patrick! Wow, that dance was very special to me, the whole week was actually. We’d just sort of talked about things between us, saying we’d keep it professional but see where things take us. We both knew what we wanted. So when we saw that couple in the park, the stars of the show Paula and Patrick, we thought let’s just go with it and if they say things about chemistry just blame it on the story. Like we always did,” he laughs, reminiscing as he watched them do the bridal-style lift with flower petals falling from the sky all around them. God, it was so real to them that performance. They felt every single smile, every gesture, every touch. “So many lovely memories. And of course, we also recreated that lift on our actual wedding day so; to Paula and Patrick, if you’re watching this - thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

“Oh wow look at that, ‘She Used To Be Mine’! Week 7! We could not believe we’d made it to this point, it was like a dream come true for Ranvir. Musicals week, baby, look at that!” He said referring to the part currently playing, where she spins into him after running away, “Look at that pure emotion on her face! Such a good actress, I actually tell her this all the time because she calls me dramatic,” he said with an eye roll, “I always say ‘Baby, look at you here. It’s just: complete drama.’ I absolutely love it.” 

“I remember going up to the judges after that, I felt like I couldn’t breathe it was so emotional. And I really don’t normally get like that, it’s me people, come on! You could really see it on my face when I watched it back though! I was struggling! But it was really something that moment we had, the song is literally made for her and what she was feeling at that time. Just beautiful, she did an outstanding job. Oh, we also should have got 30 for that, just saying. I’m just saying!!!” He laughed, putting his hands up in a defensive manner, as the crew jokingly told him off behind the camera. 

“Well here we are, semi final week,” the screen showed Ranvir walk down the steps, recollection flooding Giovanni’s mind, “First we had our stripped back, gorgeous Waltz. She looked so beautiful that day, that’s my favourite outfit of hers, I love what we were wearing that dance. It was elegant, graceful, the style suited her perfectly. She still makes me do this one with her sometimes around the living room! It’s gorgeous, I feel very grateful we’re still able to dance together.”

“At the end of this dance, I remember when I kissed her hands and walked backwards,” the screen showing his exact description, “And I just stared at her. Properly, up and down. And there was something about the feeling, I just remember as I stood there staring at her, I knew she was going to be my wife one day. I bowed to her, and I nodded my head to tell her she did good, but in my mind I just kept thinking ‘you need to marry this woman, you need to marry this woman’.” As he watched himself nuzzle his head into her hair and wrap his entire body in her embrace, he took a deep breath. “I’m a very lucky man.” 

After giving him a minute, the crew changed the footage to the Jive. “Noooo, turn it off quick, she’s going to kill me! She will literally kick me out of the house, we don’t talk about this jive, ever,” he laughed, shaking his head, along with the crew. “I absolutely loved this routine, we had so much fun with it, and we all know maybe I loved that sailor's outfit a bit too much. But, she hated every second of it! So sad, because it’s my favourite dance style, but she did struggle with it in training a lot. I’m so proud though, look at her, she gave it everything she got! But really, turn it off now, please. I don’t want my wife to kill me,” he said, with a serious face to the camera, inciting more laughter from everyone around him. 

“Well, what can I say?” He shakes his head and stares off into the distance, “What a beautiful journey. I’m still to this day, even four years later, so sad we didn’t make it to the final. I just really think she deserved every single second of the final but, it wasn’t meant to be! Using the words of Joe and Dianne, we won something more special than the glitterball didn’t we, so that’s the most important thing. Happy days, people, happy days! Now, let’s move onto my winner from 2021 - the beautiful Jessie!” 

Giovanni shared the details of his journey with Jessie, critiquing every performance that showed and saying why they worked so well together as a pairing. Their incredible contemporary style Showdance absolutely won the public over, full of emotion, with the story revolving around Jessie’s issues with bullying she faced in school. It moved people to tears, and eventually caused them to win, bringing back such incredible memories which lived inside Giovanni’s brain. He explained how having his mother, father, Ranvir and Tushaan in the audience just made it so much more special. He also explained how he told Ranvir he had a feeling he was going to win it when he woke up that Saturday morning of the final: “I just looked at her in the morning and said, ‘Ranvi, I think we’re going to do it’ and she stared back at me and said ‘Gio, I know you’re going to do it! For gods sake, this is your fourth final! You HAVE to do it!’ and then you know… we did it! And that was that! It was perfect. I strongly believe too, that if it wasn't for Ranvir and the things she taught me, I wouldn't have won this show. She was the missing piece of the puzzle, the force I needed behind me to push me over that finish line."

After reflecting on his other three partners experiences, one which had also made it to the final, and the other two which had both ended much earlier in the competition, he had reached the end of his journey and was thrown back into the present at full force. His head was almost throbbing, he found himself completely lost for words at how incredible his time on Strictly so far had been. 

“Well, honestly, I am speechless,” he started to say after a deep breath, ”Looking back on everything, how I have dedicated 10 years of my life to this show, it has been the best decision I have ever made to move to the UK and start doing Strictly. I said it five years ago and I’ll say it again - being on Strictly is a dream come true. I look back now and I think, that little kid got everything he wanted to do. He became a professional dancer on the world’s best dancing show, and through that he found his wife - the woman of his dreams, and he became a father to a beautiful boy and girl. Everything I do, all of this, I do for Ranvir, Tushaan and Adriana. My family means the world to me, all I ever wanted to be was a dancer, a husband and a dad. And strictly gave me all three of these things. So again, this place, is where I belong to be, forever and always. Thank you for having me, Strictly, I love you with all my heart. Here’s to the next 10 years, yeah?”

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone was talking about Gio’s Strictly CV video the other day in Annie’s CC, and it got me thinking how wonderful his next video is going to be where he has to look back on his journey with R. So naturally, I got thinking TOO hard about it and had to write this!  
> Also! I asked a while back (again in Annie’s CC, everyone say thank you Annie) who we think G would win with and someone said Jessie J, so I just rolled with that because she’s great!  
> Alsoooo, Adriana is my favourite Italian baby girl name in the world so in my head, Gio’s baby girl was just always going to be called Adriana. 😂  
> Lots of love xx


End file.
